‘Fought 14 years to prove my innocence’

Actor Sooraj Pancholi objects to the ‘unanswered’ tag

Sooraj Pancholi has objected to the ‘unanswered’ tag associated with actress Jiah Khan’s death, even though he has been acquitted by the court. Through his latest update on Instagram, Sooraj shared that he struggled for 14 years to prove his innocence and failed to understand what more needs to be answered when the case has already been decided by the court on the basis of facts.

His emotional post read, “I was only 20 years old when this unfortunate incident happened. I had known her for barely four months, and I had no idea what she may have been going through internally. At that age, I was too young to understand that someone could be carrying so much. What followed changed my life forever (sic).”

“I spent the next 14 years fighting to prove my innocence. Those were the years when I should have been building my life. Instead, I lived under the weight of a trial that consumed my twenties and a large part of my thirties. Only I know what I carried in my mind and in my heart every single day,” he went on to add. “Just because I have chosen to remain silent all these years doesn't give anyone the right to write whatever they want.

Out of respect, I have never spoken publicly about the personal traumas she shared with me or the struggles she faced in her life. I chose to protect her privacy despite everything I have been through. I only ask for the same fairness and respect in return,” his post further read.